It’s been over seven years since I had John Behe tune the MINI, so I took it back to the Dyno at RPR Performance to see how it’s doing. This car has just bolt-on mods: 15% SC reduction pulley, JCW injectors, cold air intake, and exhaust. We’re currently running MSD wires and coil pack, with …
Closing out the driving season for me was one final day on Summit Point Main Circuit with PCA Potomac. And it rained. Again. Seven events. Seven washouts.
One more BMWCCA DE, one more soggy weekend. All three events this year were wet at some point this year. The Shenandoah circuit is usually a very fun circuit, but I got caught out on the wrong tires. My worn Falkens were no match for the amount of water on the track and became rock …
The Gen 1 MINIs had a problem with the clear-coat that was applied at the factory. Some owners were able to talk their way into getting it fixed at the dealer under the extended corrosion warranty. Given that my MINI is long past that option, I decided to pursue a two part strategy: first, I …
For those of you who live in constant fear that your M96 engined 996 is about to self-destruct, you should take some comfort in these photos: This is the stock dual-row IMS bearing that came out of my old car at 105,000 miles. It still turns smoothly, and the bearing seals are intact. It was …
Continuing the theme of recent posts this soggy summer, here’s a wet lap of the Summit Point Extended Jefferson Circuit. The most challenging part was the new turn 4 which is the transition from the old circuit to the new(ish) extension. There isn’t enough grip to get enough weight transfer to turn-in, so you end …
Read more “Lap of the Extended Jefferson Circuit in the Rain”
Track season is just starting to get into full swing so I thought I’d share a lap of Summit Point in the rain. Newly repaved for 2018, the surface as fairly good grip and no more of the inconsistencies from water on seam sealer. The surface is less crowned than before. Water run-off is mostly …
If you’ve read any prior posts on this blog, you know I’m a huge fan of Dr. Colorchip. For small paint chips and scratches, the good doctor cannot be beat. But when the chips and scratches get bigger, the repair isn’t usually as simple. So I thought I’d try out some other products on the …
One of the additional benefits of an adjustable suspension, besides being able to dial-in ride-height and rebound, is the ability to corner weight the car. “Corner weight” refers to the static weight at each of the four wheels. 50-50 front to rear weight distribution is ideal to maximize handling on most road cars, but a …
BMW recently reclaimed the Guinness World Record for the longest drift, drifting 232.5 miles over 8 hours in the new BMW M5. I was recently attending a seminar at BMW NA HQ and they have the vehicles on display in the lobby. I found a few of the details interesting. At about 1:50 in into …